Like a Love Song
by pizzaboy98
Summary: "Tell me again. Tell me how much you love me even though you don't mean it." But he always meant it. SasuSaku oneshots based on songs! Please feel free to request songs for me to use! Ratings from K to M.
1. THANKS

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song**

**Song: **_**THANKS **_**by SEVENTEEN**

**Rated: T**

A cry from you would always be all it took for me to come to your aid. A cry of pain - I would never be able to bear it if I hadn't done anything to ease it when I very well knew I could. It would haunt me for days if you ever even came close to getting hurt - not that I would ever let that happen. Not after those few times I saw cuts and bruises mar your beautiful skin.

A smile from you, it would always brighten my day, however. If anything was going wrong, your smile would always be welcomed. At least, I assumed it would… After a while, your smiles… I no longer knew how to feel about them. There was always something hidden in them. I remember when you truly used to smile back when we were much younger. You never knew, but I always liked to watch your smile. How it used to reach your eyes. How it made your eyes shine even more than they already did. How they made you look even more attractive in the sun.

I always had some issues truly expressing my affection for you ever since we were both placed in Team 7 with Naruto. I wanted to be your tomorrow, so I lived today. My clumsy heart however, never really gave me much help when it came to you, though. You were always a weakness for me. A weakness that could easily be exploited. One that many had began to notice.

From the moment we were placed on the same team, and as we began to "spend" more time together, you were the only one for me. The only one for my heart. This is a truth that is blatantly obvious to anyone. Anyone except me and you, apparently. Not that I blame you, though. I was always rejecting that heart you carried on your sleeve. That heart that you had just for me. Me, on the other hand, refused to accept that amazing love you were so willing to give me.

But that was then, and now everything is different. Even though we are more wary of each other now than before, I can't help but to say, "Thanks."

Thanks for keeping a spot for me in your heart. Thanks for trying to hold onto the short lived memories of our genin selves on the same team. Thanks for there never being a time where you didn't love me back then. After defecting, and returning to Konoha, and every horrible thing I did in between to all of my _precious people_, I do not deserve your love.

Every time I heard you mutter those words, my heart warmed, to the point where it felt like my heart was overflowing with the love you felt for me. Yet, now, I am still much too scared to return those same words to you, knowing you too were scared. I haven't heard an "I love you" from you in _years_. Even if we spend all our waking time together, or at least, even if I _attempt_ to spend all my waking time with you. I know you are scared that I will reject you like I used to back when I had my clumsy, clumsy heart. But don't you know, Sakura? Don't you know that my heart is only for you? That can't be clearer to me as I watch you sitting across from me. I want to say something other than, "thanks," but my clumsy heart just won't let me. But it's not just that… there is also fear.

What if you no longer love me like you used to? What if the heart that you used to save just for me is no longer just for me? I wouldn't blame you in the slightest… I have only tried to kill you so many times. It is due to this that I know that our names are forever engraved in each other's heart. Mine in yours for the time you tried to spare me from the darkness that consumed me, and now yours in mine, from witnessing how powerful your love had been. But please don't forget me. Don't tell me you no longer love me.

I now know that it has always been you, and that… that will never change. It has never changed. I was simply too blind to understand it when we were genin.

Your eyes meet mine again. Words better than "thanks" began to swim in my head.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright? I didn't want to say anything, but you've sorta been staring at me for a while. You haven't even touched your food yet!"

I snap back to reality, feeling my ears warm, knowing that she could not see them.

"Hn… Yes, sorry. I got a little distracted by my mission next week," I offered.

"Oh yeah," she exclaimed as a smirk started to form on her mouth, "Now that you're a jōnin like me, you get to actually go on cool missions with me now. You must be _so _excited!"

I tried to give her a blank stare, but I couldn't lie. I was actually quite excited. It was also a definite plus that it would be all of Team 7 going, but more so that I would be able to spend time with Sakura outside of the village.

"Ah, it's going to be great," she exclaimed, a big smile on her face, "I love you guys so much! I miss the good old days, before..."

She trailed off, trying to avoid eye contact with me, while I was too busy trying to calm my heart after she said she loved me. Granted, it was not the way I hoped, but for now I would take it.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun! I didn't meant to be so insensitive! You know I love you, right," she said before blushing, "Ah sorry! I didn't mean to make this even more awkward… I, uh, have to go."

She stood up, apparently thinking that I would express a negative reaction to her confession of love. Although I was not too sure which kind of love she was expressing, I grabbed her hand, silently taking in the warmth it brought me. This was my chance to tell her something better than "thanks" - and I needed to do it quick, before she removed her hand from my grasp and walked away.

"Sakura. Don't. I … I love you," I said avoiding eye contact, pleasantly shocked that I finally told her, six years after we had been placed on the same team.

I felt a soft hand on my chin, moving my head so I could see her eyes again. They were shining, but not only that - her smile also reached her eyes. I had been waiting so long to see that, not that I would ever tell her.

"You know, Naruto told me this, but I just believed he was lying," she said, before an evil glint appeared in her eye, "unless this is all a trick…"

"No, Sakura," I said in a quiet and more serious voice, "I do love you. It's always been you."

I stood up and pulled her into my arms, loving the feel of her body against mine. It was almost like she was perfect for me. Almost like I didn't know that already.

"If you ever doubt that," I said harshly, hearing her chuckle, "you better watch out. But right now, I have a _dobe_ to kill."

I teleported away toward that _dobe_'s chakra signature, hearing only a "Sasuke-kun! Don't!" as a smile finally appeared on my face.


	2. If This Is Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song**

**Song: **_**If This Is Love **_**by Ruth B**

**Rated: T**

"_Fuck, Sakura! Just leave me alone!"_

"_Hn. Annoying." _

"_I. Don't. Like. You."_

The list of things that Sasuke-kun has said to me goes on. Unfortunately, that's all I can hear in my head whenever I see him. But it's not only that. It's also the fluidity through which they leave his mouth that shocks me to the core.

But no more. After every single encounter… all I feel is broken. Shattered. I have been in love with Sasuke throughout our childhood. I even thought that we were at least friends, but my eyes are finally open now. He's never seen me as more than a nuisance. And he'll never see me as anything more than that either.

I wipe the tears from my eyes. Tomorrow morning, the world better prepare for the new Haruno Sakura.

* * *

It's actually kinda wild how much easier life is when you're not in love with someone that could never love you back. Okay, well, I'm not there yet, but it's getting easier not to walk up to Sasuke. It's getting easier not to hang on to his every movement in class or his every word in the hallways. In fact, I can feel myself begin to reclaim my spot as the best student in the class now that I can focus on school again.

Which is why I'm having lunch at the library. I've managed to drag Ino and Hinata with me to the library for lunch every day for the last few weeks.

"Sakura!" I hear someone growl from behind the shelf closest to me, almost making me jump from my seat. I turn to look - it's Sasuke?!

"What?" I whisper-shouted as I walked up to him.

"What are you doing? You know you doing better in school won't make me like you, right?"

THE NERVE.

"Um, what," I manage to growl out.

"Yeah, I know you must be surprised, but-"

I cut him off, "For your information, _Sasuke_. Before you came along, I was smart. I did well in school. So how about you fuck off and let me finish studying for the high school entrance exams."

I left him there, mouth just the slightest bit open, feeling fulfilled, and closer to my goal of no longer liking _him_.

* * *

"Come on, Sakura! You have to go! All of the bastard's friends are going to be there, so you _have _to be there too!" Naruto tries to reason.

"Naruto… you do know Sasuke has never thought of me as a friend, right? Plus my presence alone would ruin his day," I say back.

"But, Sakura, the both of you are the only ones who managed to get accepted to the advanced program at Konoha High School!"

"I still don't see why I have to go! Sasuke _hates_ me. I used to cry for him, but not anymore. I don't want anything to do with him," I growl out.

I am thrown back to the days when I used to break down after every hurtful thing Sasuke said and kept it bottled up until I went home to release it. It leaves me sad to think that I used to mistake whatever that fucked up thing was for love.

"But… Sasuke-"

"No buts, Naruto."

* * *

"How has your first semester of high school, forehead?" Ino asks me.

"Ino. I think I'm in love, but for real this time!" I tell her, thinking of the nice boy in my advanced math class."

"Ugh, don't tell me it's Sasuke again," she says, grimacing.

"No! There's this really cute guy in my advanced math class. And he's super nice, too!"

"Wait, really? But…" Ino trails off.

"But what, Ino?"

"Nothing… it's just kind of nice seeing you smile again when it comes to love."

* * *

Despite the fact that Sasuke was only in my advanced math class my freshman year, I somehow end up in every single one of his classes this year. Ugh, he probably thinks I'm in all his classes because I'm still in love with him. I can admit, though, that he's only gotten more attractive.

It also doesn't help that Sasuke and I sit next to each other in all of those classes but one, the teachers insisting that we should sit next to each other as we were the only ones in our advance program who went to Genin Academy prior to high school.

I try to avoid interacting with him, lest he strikes me with his infamous, scathing remarks.

"All these years, and we somehow end up sitting next to each other again," he grumbles under his breath, thinking I can't hear him thanks to my headphones, "and the same hairstyle? That stupid rumor…"

The next day, I show up with braided pigtails. And the next day, with my hair in a ponytail. The next day, with my hair in waves. He thought I was still trying to impress him? I'll show him.

* * *

It's junior year and somehow, I'm in the same situation with Sasuke as last year. All the same classes… but at least this time, we don't sit next to each other in half of the classes. In those, he _only_ sits behind me.

Junior year is also the year I actually attend some of the high school parties that I would get invited to.

Granted, I always went with Ino, but never of my own volition. I could be smart, and have fun, right?

This was a party for Ino's 17th birthday, and as her best friend, I obviously have to dress well. Which is why I put on a maroon crop top that shows some of my stomach, and a black skater skirt, along with black sheer tights and black heels. I also put on the choker that Ino got me for my birthday last year. I leave my hair in a bun, not wanting to worry too much about styling my hair, leaving a few tendrils of hair loose and framing my face.

I was having a good time, talking to some cute boys when I see _him_. I manage to avoid interacting with him seeing as we somehow end up in the same room every five minutes. He disappears from my sight - _finally_ \- and as I walk into the next room to play beer pong, I literally walk into his hard chest. He catches me by the arms.

While he's holding my arms, he says, "All these years later and you somehow always end up running into me," in a deadpan voice.

I slap his face. Unfortunately for me, the music was just transitioning, so everyone in the room heard the sound.

Holding back tears in the back of my throat, I manage to utter, "Fuck. You. Sasuke," and go to Ino's room. What a waste of a good outfit.

* * *

It's finally Decision Day, and I'm so happy. Or at least, I was. Until I saw Sasuke wear a shirt from the same college that I was going to. The one and only Konoha University. Of course, both of us being stellar students would grant us acceptances to the best college in the city. But for us to both decide on going to the same school? My luck is just… ass.

He sees my shirt too, and suddenly an ugly smirk is on his handsome face. Well, shit. Now he's coming over, and….

"Nice to see you're going to be around me for an extra four years, _Sa-ku-ra_."

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. But, really… I don't actually hate him, and I don't know if that's worse than somehow still being attracted to him after all these years.

"Don't worry. If we're lucky… we will never have to see each other again," I say, turning away from him. He somehow still manages to put a damper on my mood, even after all these years.

* * *

Lo and behold, on moving day, I find out that Sasuke not only lives in the same dorm as me, but also on the same floor. I feel like this is a big _fuck you_ from the universe for something I did in a past life.

I manage to avoid him pretty well, really, but for some reason, he manages to show up in the dorm lounge and the dining hall whenever I'm free from my classes. Granted, I don't talk to him, but the fact that he manages to be there all the time bothers me.

It's not like he knows my class schedule. If he did, I'm sure he would be avoiding me like the plague. He's never liked me, and I've never given him a reason to like me, especially with all my fawning throughout our middle school days.

Is it just me, or is he moving closer to my usual seat in the dining hall every day? I glare at him.

Is it just me, or is he always in the library when I'm there? I observe him from the side of my eye.

How is it he's always in the lounge when I come back from a party, when I know he was just at the same party?

And, now, he's sitting in a seat away from me now. Amazing.

"Sakura."

_Fuck me_.

"What, Sasuke?"

There's a pause, before he continues, "Can we go back to the way things were? Or can we at least start over?"

He sounds tired, but I don't know why. What does he mean by _back to the way things were_?

"Um. What do you mean by back to the way things were," I ask, very confused.

"Back when we used to speak to each other? When we were friends," he asks, seemingly confused as well.

"Are you alright, Sasuke? As far as I know, we were never friends? I tried being your friend all those years ago, but it seemed to me like I was more of a nuisance than anything else, so I stopped trying..." I say slowly.

"Did you think we weren't friends," he asks, with an unidentified emotion in his voice.

"Uh, yes? You only ever had bad things to say to me? I'm confused."

He mumbles something along the lines of "Naruto was right, but I always thought he was kidding."

"Uh, Sasuke, I couldn't hear you. Would you mind repeating that?"

"Sakura," he says turning completely to face me, "We grow up together, you know?" I nod. "Our parents were friends. We were always together. I always thought of you as my friend. But… you changing yourself after you first told me you liked me, I didn't like that. I pretended to not like you, so that you could be _Sakura_ again."

This is the most I've ever heard him speak…. Wait, wait, wait. What did he just say?

"I've… always thought of you as someone special to me. I didn't like the idea of you changing yourself to something I supposedly liked. Sakura, I've liked you for years. I've been meaning to tell you for four years, but…"

"Is this some kind of joke to you, Sasuke," I ask angrily, watching his eyes widen comically.

"No," he says shaking his head, "Just hear me out… _please_."

He says that so pleadingly, and thankfully, the dining hall was empty, so I nod my head. I want to see how he can justify every horrible thing he's done to me.

"Thank you," he exhales, relieved. "I didn't realize I liked you until months after you first told me. But, by then, you had changed everything about yourself to fit what people assumed _I_ liked. I didn't know I liked everything about the _real_ you until you had completely changed. I thought that if I never expressed any interest and kept putting you down, you would go back to how you used to be. Smart. Kind, amongst other things. But it seems all I managed to do was drive you farther from me. And I've finally had enough of pretending I don't like you and you keeping your distance. I'm so sorry, in more ways than I can ever express for how I treated you towards the end of middle school."

That was a lot to process, and I can see that he was waiting for some kind of response from me.

"Sasuke, you're a whole dick. I hope you know that. What you did to me was _fucked_. You don't understand how _fucked_. And I don't think you ever will. Do you think that you suddenly telling me you liked me this whole time despite all my suffering and an apology will make me fall in love with you again? I don't think so."

He stares at me, eyes hard. Before he nods his head.

"Okay. Let's start over then," he says, extending his hand toward me. "Hi, my name is Uchiha Sasuke, what's your name?"

I don't know why I did it, or what I was thinking, but my hand met his in a handshake, while saying, "Nice to meet you Sasuke. My name is Haruno Sakura. Maybe we can be friends."

* * *

We started our tentative friendship slowly. I didn't want a repeat of what happened to me in my childhood, but I could see how and why I fell in love with him in the first place, and that scared me. I couldn't really stop but getting caught in his heated stares either.

It was New Year's when it happened.

We had been spending a lot of time outside of class together, and I think we could have easily been considered friends. I think he would have called us friends too. We were at a party with the rest of our childhood friends, who were happy that Sasuke and I were "finally" friends again. They also apparently thought that Sasuke and I were friends once upon a time.

Before any of us knew it, the clock struck midnight, and then, it was 2019.

I turn to Sasuke, and it just slipped out. I said, "Happy New Year, Sasuke-kun."

My face froze in terror, while he gave a genuine smile. Fuck, I was in love with him… _again_. This could only lead to more heartache, more -

Sasuke's lips were on mine before I could realize. It was slow, and filled with so much passion and desire, and I had to return the kiss with more if not equal fervor.

Wow. This is incredible. I've -

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you. I hope you don't mind," he asks, breathless, breaking the kiss.

"No," I breathe out, before pulling him back down and recapturing his lips. Only Sasuke could have been the other half to my broken heart. Regardless of how tumultuous it started off.

* * *

Here she comes again. I prepare myself for a scathing remark, no matter how much it hurts when I say it, watching her prettyprettysopretty face shatter.

I breathe in, ready to say something, but she just keeps walking past me, not even sparing me a glance. What. The. Fuck?

Maybe something bad has happened to her? I ask some of our friends. Naruto. Ino. Hinata. They said nothing was wrong with her, so what gives?

It's been weeks now, and I even miss the Fake Sakura trying to ask me out on a date. She hasn't spoken to me in _weeks_. This is unheard of.

I finally find her in the library, studying with Ino and Hinata. Those traitors know what she's been up to these last few weeks and have refused to tell me.

"Sakura," I call out, unfortunately sounding _way _more aggressive than I intended.

I can see her look around, before her beautiful green eyes catch mine. My heart starts beating really fast.

She stands up, walking towards me, growling out a very angry "what?" I have never seen her angry at me, but I now understand why Naruto could be so afraid of her.

"What are you doing? You know you doing better in school won't make me like you, right," I ask, trying not to get my hopes up that she was returning to her old self.

She looks offended. Did I say the wrong thing?

"Um, what," she says quietly.

"Yeah, I know you must be surprised, but-"

She cuts me off, "For your information, _Sasuke_." - Woah, woah. Where was my _Sasuke-kun_? What the fuck was going on? - "Before you came along, I was smart. I did well in school. So how about you fuck off and let me finish studying for the high school entrance exams?"

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Is she mad at me? I would just give her some time. I knew we had our high school placement exams coming up soon, and knowing how she used to be, she would want to enter the advanced program at Konoha High School.

Somehow, the two of us were the only ones in our school that applied to that program and got in.

That brought a smile to my face. She was back to her old self, and now I could finally tell her I liked her too.

I ask the _dobe_ to invite her to my graduation party. I haven't seen her, and she seems to be avoiding me. She was my friend first and foremost, and me having a crush on her would never change that.

A day later, the _dobe_ comes back to me, angry.

"You really fucked up, _teme_," he yells, pacing around my room, "Sakura doesn't want to go to your party. She's under the impression that you hate her, and-"

He goes on, but my brain goes numb, so I don't really hear him. Sakura thinks I hate her? Why? I'm so confused. If Naruto could tell I liked her before I even knew it myself, why couldn't she?

* * *

I see the way that guy in our advanced math class looks at her and it drives me _mad_. She still hasn't spoken to me since that day in the library, and she hasn't even been to my house when her parents are over for dinner. I am beginning to see why she _might possibly_ think I _hate_ her, but she has to know I love her, right?

I can only be happy for her, though. I've hurt her, and now someone else is making her happy. It's all my fault that there's a giant space between the both of us when once we would walk side by side.

I manage to last the whole year without once bashing his head in. I never bother learning his name because I absolutely _despise _him. It's the only class I have with her this year, and I have to take what I can get, I just have to accept the fact that maybenotmaybe Sakura will never smile at me that way again, but I can pretend. Right?

* * *

I remember when Sakura used to have her hair in a cute little ponytail. Until people started spreading rumors that I liked girls with very long hair. Sakura definitely let her hair grow out to win my love in middle school. I remember she was always "long hair gets in the way, Sasuke-kun!". Oh, how I miss how she used to call my name when we were younger.

It's sophomore year, and we sit next to each other in every single class. It's not like I asked Ino or Naruto if they knew what classes she was taking because I missed her.

I do feel guilty, though, at the way my eyes are always drawn to her during P.E. No one should be able to look _that_ good when running laps around the field. The way her long hair is always down, drifting in the wind. Maybe I do have a thing for long hair?

As I sit in chemistry next to her one day, I can't help but to thinkprayhope that maybe us sitting next to each other again is a sign. And her long hair… and that stupid rumor… was there any credibility to it?

I'm not sure if there was any credibility to the rumor, because the next day, she's walking into our morning class, wearing braided pigtails. We never speak to each other in any class, and that's fine by me, because being around her is good enough. I like the way she's wearing her hair differently each day. It makes me think that maybe I just liked Sakura's hair in general… It looks so soft, so-

* * *

We manage to be in all of the same classes the next year, too. This time, however, I am only graced with the back of her pretty head in some of our classes, but when she flips her hair, or she comes with her hair up, I can see her slender neck, and -

It's Yamanaka Ino's birthday, only a few weeks into the school year, and I know Sakura will actually be at this party. They're best friends. I try my best to look nice, hopingprayingwishing that she'll shower me with her affections again. Whenever I go to one of our friends' parties, I never know to expect her, and I always tend to get my hopes up only for her not to be there.

When I get to the party, I see her, and I feel my heart leave my body. She looks so beautiful, so natural, so _Sakura_. She looks sinful in clothes that are so… normal. I get irritated because whenever I get the courage to approach her, she's on the other side of the room talking with some nameless idiot that wants to get under her skirt. I want to play beer pong to take my mind off how amazing she looks, and it seems like she had the same idea, because she runs into me.

She seems to be close to falling, so I grab her arms.

Unfortunately, my brain ceases to function, because the first thing I say to her since high school started is something about how she was always running into me. She's been avoiding me - no, she could never. Right? - so there's no way that were true. And I'm so stupid for saying nothing that matters and for not saying how much I miss her, how it hurts that she doesn't speak to me, how -

I feel a sharp pain in my left cheek. _She slapped me! FUCK._

I turn my head back to face her, only to see her look like she's about to cry.

"Fuck. You. Sasuke," she says to me, and that's all I hear for the rest of the night.

"_TEME! _What did you do?"

"Sasuke! This is not going to win forehead back, you know?"

* * *

It's senior year and we are again in the same class, but we're so far from each other in each class. My heart breaks a little as I think about how after Ino's birthday, she seemed to have become even colder towards me. But Uchiha men don't show any emotions. I can't show how much this hurts me.

The months bleed together. Filling out college applications. Filling out financial aid information. Hearing my parents ask me _How's Sakura, Sasuke-kun? We haven't seen her in a long time? Is she alright?_

We get our college acceptances, and of course, Sakura, being the smart, beautiful person she is, gets in to the best schools. Me too, though. It would be stupid for me to go to Konoha University just because Sakura might be going there according to Ino. But they have amazing psychology and economics faculties there, and it was my top choice before even hearing that Sakura had applied and gotten in.

When I see her wearing a Konoha University shirt on Decision Day, I can barely contain my excitement to think that we would be going to the same college for the next four years.

She catches my eye, and then when I see her look at my Konoha University shirt, I smirk and start walking towards her.

"Nice to see you're going to be around me for an extra four years, _Sa-ku-ra_," I say, attempting to be suave as soon as I am in front of her.

She stares into my eyes for a few seconds, before saying, "Don't worry. If we're lucky… we will never have to see each other again," and then turning away from me again. My heart breaks a little more that day.

* * *

I hear Ino and the _dobe_ talk about where Sakura is going to dorm, and I know that I am going to dorm there, too. In a non creepy way, though. I just want to make sure that nothing bad happens to her in college. In high school, her naivete didn't let her see how much we protected her from all the creeps at Konoha High School, not that we would ever tell her. It would completely ruin how she views life.

Every day in the dining hall, once I've managed to remember her schedule, I try to sit near her, but I always chicken out at the last moment. But each day, I've been getting closer. Closer to being her friend, until one day, I basically sit next to her, and I tell her all I've been holding in for the past few years.

To hear things from her point of view, I don't blame her trying to sever our friendship. I can't even believe that I drove her away and made her think we weren't even friends, when I've been in love with her for four whole years.

When she takes my hand, and agrees to start over, to be friends, I think that maybe there's still a chance for us and we'll be alright.

When she calls me Sasuke-kun for the first time in what feels like decades, and she gives me the most amazing kiss I've ever had, I know that we'll both be alright.


	3. Feel Special

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song**

**Song: **_**Feel Special **_**by TWICE**

**Rated: M**

The passing time bleeds together, seamlessly. I can never tell how long I'm like this. It could last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These days where I feel all alone. Neither here nor there. It all has to do with the fact that I never seem to be enough for my parents. Or, more specifically, my father. I can never live up to his high expectations of me that were set by my older brother. Regardless, I know for a fact that this feeling truly began to manifest itself this school year.

I've lost so many friends through my careless words whenever I lash out from all this emotion I keep bottled in. This can't be that bad, right? My parents will only love me less if they find out what an emotional wreck I am.

I suddenly feel a soft hand on my face, my eyes instantly snapping to meet _hers_.

"Sasuke-kun, are you-"

I cut her off before she even finishes her sentence. "Fuck off, Sakura," I growl out. Her pretty face slowly morphs into one I can't quite place. She simply nods to herself before walking away. My eyes follow her as she walks away to our shared class, expecting her to at least turn around to look at me, but she doesn't. That's new.

The thing with Sakura is that we used to be really good friends. Until she had to ruin it all by telling me she's been in love with me for five years. We were in our senior year of high school, and I didn't need this _obstacle_ in the way. Not now that I was so close to meeting my father's expectations.

At the same time, it felt like even more of me was missing with her not around. For so long - almost thirteen years - Sakura and Naruto were all I had when times were tough. But even then, Naruto was really the only one I truly considered a friend. Looking back, I could only see Sakura as a nuisance, which would explain what she told me. Except she must have also lied to me because I'm sure Sakura had begun loving me much earlier than when we were thirteen.

In our group of friends, Sakura was always the expendable one, although the dobe would always try to tell you otherwise. She wasn't needed in our group of three - or two - since she has always been lusting after me. And even when she told me at the beginning of the school year that she loved me and I turned her down and cut all ties with her, she was always _around_ me. Never more than five feet away from me. Which makes her just leaving me alone in the middle of the hallway that much more surprising, albeit a welcome surprise.

I walk into class, ready to deal with her constant asking of _how are you Sasuke-kun? Are you doing alright? How's your family? Does everything make sense to you?_ I can't help but to scoff.

Silence. Not a single peep out of her all class. The only time she spoke was when the teacher asked her a question. As the day progressed, she didn't once speak to me, even though we sat next to each other in every. Single. Class.

I wanted to feel happy. Elated. I felt something, but I just didn't know what.

The next morning, she sits in her assigned seat, to my left.

"Good morning, Sasuke. How-"

"Don't speak to me. What part of '_fuck off_' did you not get?" I ask, exasperated. Expecting an answer, but she simply nods to herself instead.

At lunch, I see her sit with that one blonde girl in our year and her friends. She's laughing and touching the boys in the group. I scoff. She was always at someone's whim, wasn't she? I feel something I _can_ name: anger and… disappointment?

I begin to interact with her less. Or does she interact with me less? Probably the former. She doesn't have the capacity to do such a thing. It doesn't bother me.

"Why are you staring at Sakura-chan again, teme," I hear the blond nuisance next to me ask while chewing food.

Why would I be staring at her having fun with people that aren't us? That's stupid. Either way, there's this stupid feeling that I can't describe.

"She wishes I was staring at her," I say under my breath while picking the food on my plate.

* * *

The first snowfall finds us both at the same Christmas party that the dobe is hosting. She somehow manages to bump into me, apologizing without even looking at me.

"What the fuck's your problem, Sakura?"

That makes her look up, "Huh? Sasuke? I just said I'm sorry?"

The fire in her eyes does something to me, but that emotion gets lost in the flurry of emotions I begin to feel. I choose to focus on the anger.

"You knew what you were doing, you bitch," I say angrily, riling her up in the process. Hopefully. _Hopefully?_

She looks me in the eyes, nods again to herself and simply flips me off. She then turns tail and struts away from me in her short, Christmas skirt. Have her legs always been that long? Have they always looked so smooth?

We both keep running into each other. Each time with more alcohol in both of our systems.

Everyone is passed out except for us. Or maybe I'm just ignoring everyone else because my eyes keep being drawn to Sakura and her annoying aura. Beautiful aura.

I see her go to the hallway and I feel the need to follow her. She stops halfway down the hallway and turns to look at me, most likely having heard my footsteps behind her.

I keep walking up to her while she just stands there. Looking ethereal as always. _As always_? My eyes falling to her lips with each step I take. Until. Finally, I stand right in front of her. In her heels, her forehead reaches my mouth. I could just kiss her forehead if I wanted to. Our stare becomes heated, so I lean in, attempting to catch her lips. She then takes a step back instead.

"Sasuke, you don't really want this," she says quietly, our eyes still locked.

"Who the fuck cares?"

"I do, Sasuke. This won't do you any well! You have to talk to someone about all of your emotions! I think you might be suffering from anxiety or depression-"

I cut her off by capturing her lips. Her soft lips. I would be lying if I say I couldn't see myself getting lost to this feeling.

* * *

We continued to meet up in spots around the school. Her lips were like a highly addicting drug. It helped me forget how I felt and how I couldn't seem to find a way to describe how I felt.

We're studying in my room, late at night when it first happens. My parents and brother are gone, like always. I go to the bathroom and come back to see her skirt riding up her leg, exposing her beautiful thigh. Next thing I knew, we were both naked under the covers. My cock spasming inside her clenching walls. This felt euphoric.

When I wake up, I find myself alone in the bed, the euphoria gone.

I try hard to have that euphoria stay with me, but Sakura always ends up leaving in the morning, taking it with her. The last time we have sex, I couldn't help but to utter, "Sakura. I love you," into her shoulder as I reach my climax. I would have thought she would have been elated, but she only seems sad.

"Sasuke. Why did you say you loved me?"

"Because I do, Sakura."

"Sasuke… no… you don't. You love what this sex helps you feel but you don't love me. I think you need to see a therapist. I'm so sorry that I've been complicit in the deterioration of your mental health," she sobs, before picking up all of her clothes and leaving my room.

I sit back and think about what she says.

I go and see a therapist the next week.

* * *

"I think she was always much more than I gave her credit. She was always there for both of us, despite all the problems in our family. Sakura was never expendable, she was the most vital part of our group.

"She was the sunshine that cleared all of the dark clouds away, and I was so lost in my own head that I never truly saw how she affected me in a positive way. Her love was always enough to get me through some of the tough times with my family. I owe her so many apologies for always brushing her off, don't I?

"She has always been so expressive and I think that's why I pushed her away when she told me she loved me. I always wanted to hear that, just not from her, but from my parents. I should have accepted the love she offered and ran with it. I, too, think I've loved her for so long, as a friend, as something more than a friend. I just never knew it.

"I'm going to tell her tomorrow and explain everything. I'm going to talk to my family tonight since they're finally home and tell them how I've felt with all of these pent up emotions. I've been avoiding everyone in my life while I sorted this out, but I think I'm finally ready. A month isn't too long. I would like to show them how much I've grown."

"Well Sasuke, I certainly am impressed and proud of how much you've accomplished within our past ten sessions. I wait to hear back from you on Monday to see how everything turns out," Dr. Yamanaka, my therapist tells me, smiling.

I give him a small smile back before thanking him and heading home.

* * *

"Oh, Sasuke…" my mother says, sobbing into my father's shoulder.

"Sasuke," I hear my father clearing his throat, drawing my attention, "We have always loved you, and not a day has gone by where that has not been true. I apologize for all the … the harm we have caused you. I love you, my son."

Hearing those words lifted half a world's weight off my back.

* * *

"Sakura," I call out, a small smile on my face.

I see her turn to me, eyes wide before a beautiful smile appears on her face. She runs to me and hugs me, saying, "It's been so long since I've seen you smile Sasuke!"

She quickly pulls away before I could wrap my arms around her, leaving me feeling empty, panic creeping up my body.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I know you don't really love it when I interact with you in any way in public," she whispers quietly.

How could I have been so blind that I couldn't see the goddess that had been in front of me for _years_?

I immediately wrap my arms around her, pulling her in, relishing in her warmth.

"I'm so sorry Sakura," I say quietly, "I finally talked to a therapist like you told me to. And although I'm much better, I still have a long way to go."

"One thing's for sure," I say, stepping back slightly, tilting her head up so I can look into her beautiful eyes, her face blushing, "I'm never letting you go again, Sakura. I mean it. You mean too much for me, so how about we start over?"

She looks at me, confused.

"Start over how, Sasuke?"

"Well, to start, I think I liked it better when you called me 'Sasuke-kun'," I say, feeling my ears heat up, but it was worth it just to see her smile at me like that again.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun," she says, beaming at me. God she's so cute.

I think I said that out loud, because she looks at me shocked, before blushing, and smiling at me again. I feel so warm just looking at her, which is why I ask:

"So now that we have that settled, how would you like to go out with me, Sakura? For real this time, I want to do it right. We have so much catching up to do wouldn't you say?"

The way her smile reached her eyes would stay with me even after we were both eighty years old.

"I would love that, Sasuke-kun."

I smile softly, reaching out for her hand. My smile only grows as she intertwines our fingers, smiling up at me. I look outside, the rain having cleared away as the sun began to shine.

When I'm with Sakura… I feel special, and it's such a shame that it took me so long to figure that out. It even took me having to see a therapist to help me begin to understand the extent of our bond. This special feeling she gives me… I don't know how much else to describe it, but I know I will soon learn what it means to me.

* * *

A/N:

I'm sorry if this feels rushed in some parts; I wanted to somewhat emulate the way in which people that don't have perfect mental health can't make much sense of the world at times and how that makes it hard to describe how they're feeling. I know this song deals more with someone that's always there for you, but I wanted to take a different approach about how Sasuke doesn't realize that Sakura has always made him feel special and took her for less initially. He has always loved her, which is something that Sakura had slowly realized a little bit before the beginning of this story, which is why when his mental health took a turn for the worst, she sort of knew something was wrong, and wanted what was best for him without him really knowing it. He only saw what his worst fears were, that Sakura's love was conditional and that no one could like him if his parents didn't. I know I rushed the Sasuke moment with his parents, but I wanted to focus more on the way he and Sakura managed to patch things up. Thank you for reading!


	4. Nothing

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Naruto **_**or the song**

**Song: **_**Nothing **_**by The Script**

**Rated: T**

It's the constant back and forth that is making Sakura feel so crazy on such a nice day. There had always been a nagging voice in the back of her mind that just told her - always told her - that she should give up on this _game_. This _game_ was meant for two, but it was really just her playing by herself.

No matter what she did, couldn't he see that she was _trying_? Couldn't he see that she was doing better? It all seemed for naught, though.

The tipping point came on that same nice day. That day where she finally felt _tired_. _Done_.

She was walking through the market after her shift at the hospital, hoping to see her team, following their chakra pattern. At the hospital, she was learning to not be a burden to the team. She was learning to depend on herself instead of others. Where she felt needed for once. That's when she saw them. At Ichiraku's. Without her. This shouldn't have surprised her, though. She was looking for them, after all, wasn't she?

It was strange seeing Sasuke-kun hang out with the team. He never did that, did he? Or was it only because he didn't like the team when she was around? Sakura approached the ramen stand before stopping right in front of the flaps. Perhaps it was better this way? Team 7 without Sakura? She was just _so tired_ of playing the game where she was sitting on the sidelines waiting for the one day that Kakashi-sensei would deem her to be important enough for just an ounce of his attention. For the day that Sasuke-kun would finally acknowledge her and all she's been able to become. Sakura decided she wasn't really feeling ramen and walked away.

The next time she goes to training, she's unsure if there's something wrong with the team dynamics. Unsure if it's her fault again. _Tsunade-shishou says I have so much potential, why can't they see that? Have they deemed me a lost cause_, Sakura thinks.

She sees Sasuke-kun smirk, but never at her. Never at her. Only to the two members of Team 7 that matter besides himself. Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. Why can't she just do something right for once? Naruto always smiles at her, but now she feels like it's more out of pity than anything else. She's dead weight, isn't she?

She thinks back to the day she saw Team 7 without her. There didn't seem to be anything missing from that image. Why did it make her feel like something was missing in her, though? She leaves training that day, without anyone noticing. Sure they wouldn't even acknowledge her missing.

Wake up. Training with Team 7. A shift at the hospital. Training with Tsunade. Sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Over and over. Despite the monotonous routine, it just suddenly seemed like there should be _more_. She wants to ignore the way her heart beats faster every time she sees Sasuke-kun. If he was perfectly fine without her, why wasn't she perfectly fine without him?

She takes a punch to the stomach. Her medical-nin instincts come through and her body instantly heals any damage caused by Kakashi-sensei's punch. It's been well over a year since she started training with her Tsunade-shishou. She was a natural, her Tsunade-shishou liked to tell her. She had so much potential. So why was she always tasked with training with Kakashi-sensei? Why was he always going easy on her? Why did he try so hard to make sure Sasuke-kun and Naruto advanced as shinobi? What about her? Kakashi-sensei simply glances at her before saying that training was over.

That _game_ where she loves Sasuke-kun and Sasuke-kun loves her… that was never going to happen, was it? The breaking point comes when she overhears Sasuke-kun tell her that she shouldn't overexert herself during training that same day. Overexert… herself? All she did was get punched once. Did he not believe in her the way she believes in him?

Why was it always Sasuke-kun that made her feel crazy for having feelings for him? Guilty for something she couldn't control. Something that Team 7 made her feel horrible for.

She knew what to do, though. Maybe less exposure to Sasuke-kun would mean she could get better? She could finally be a member of Team 7!

She asks Tsunade to start training her more seriously, not noticing the weird look Tsunade gives her. The chūnin exams were two months away, and she wanted to be ready for it. To be able to help Team 7. These would be the first chūnin exams that would be offered since the invasion from Suna and Oto.

She hoped her team would miss her since she wouldn't be going to team practice anymore. _They won't miss you_, the voice in the back of her head reminds her. Telling her she's crazy for thinking she's worth anything to Team 7.

Kakashi-sensei doesn't ask about her. Naruto doesn't ask about her. Sasuke-kun definitely does not ask about her and Sakura forces herself to think it's okay. This should help her get stronger. Not thinking about Sasuke-kun might help her focus on her training more.

She woke up extra early today, despite a long night, and is on her way to see Tsunade. She sees Sasuke-kun on her way over there, and her heart starts acting up. It wasn't that hot when she left her house, was it? She smiles and waves at him. "Hi, Sasuke-kun, how-," she attempts to converse with him, until she sees him narrow her eyes at her and turn back around without saying a word, rooting her in place.

Somehow his desires to not even acknowledge her existence - despite not having seen each other for a few weeks - hurt more than she ever thought possible. Her body feels numb. But she continues heading towards Tsunade, knowing that she no longer wants to play the game. No game should leave her feeling so alone, so unwanted, so hurt.

That's why when she brushed past Sasuke on her way to Tsunade's office, she didn't bother to acknowledge his existence. And somehow, that felt like the first victory she had in a long while. She never senses his eyes stare at her as she walks into the office.

* * *

It is now a month before the chūnin exams, and she does not hear from Team 7 at all. Perhaps they weren't going to take the chūnin exams? _No, that wouldn't make any sense. They're Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto_. _Kakashi wouldn't let them refuse to take the exam_, the voice tells her, and she silently agrees.

One day she sees the three of them eating ramen with someone else. A pale boy with black hair. She sees them talk to the boy, who is sitting in _her _spot. But she knows that boy. It's Sai. She's become friends with him, despite his awkward demeanor. Above all else, though, she knows he's still a genin. The fact that they're there together without her means one thing. They've replaced her on Team 7. She doesn't hate Sai, though. She's trained with him under Tsunade's watchful eyes and she knows how great of a fighter he is. How great he's going to be on Team 7.

She still trains with Sai, but she no longer tells him about her feelings concerning Team 7. He's a member of Team 7 now, and she's not. She can't talk about them like that. Even though they meant _the world_ to her, she knows it was not reciprocated. Not in the least bit.

She tells Ino everything, as usual. Attempts to describe how she feels whenever she's with Team 7, never noticing Ino's sad smiles. That is why, when Ino and Chōji ask her for help - Shikamaru _was_ a chūnin after all and they needed a third member - she did not hesitate to be a member of their three-man squad for the chūnin exams. If her team hadn't even thought about asking her a few weeks ago, and they replaced her already, why would she expect them to ask her to be with Team 7 for the chūnin exams a week before they began in Suna?

She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised when Kakashi-sensei approached her. _Her_, Sakura, of all people!

"Sakura… is it true that you're joining Team 10 for the chūnin exams," he asks, no emotion in his voice at all.

"That's… true, Kakashi-sensei. I know you guys were going to participate in the chūnin exams with Sai-"

"Why would we participate with Sai?"

"And I think that's for the better. I know Team 7 is now better off without me. Oh, look, here they come! I'll be on my way then," she says, turning around, not even hearing his question.

She pretends she doesn't hear him calling her name as she lets tears fall from her eyes. Because if he really wanted her, needed her, on the team, he could have just stopped her from leaving, right?

The trek to Suna with Ino and Chōji was relaxing, to say the least. She had easy-going banter with Ino, and Chōji was, as always, nice to her. If she were with Team 7, she knew she would have felt out of place.

They arrive before most of the other Konoha genin. She senses _their_ chakra in the building where they will be staying for the night, and she tells her companions so.

"What? Forehead, how can you do that," Ino asks, sounding incredulous.

"What do you mean, pig? They're just so strong, it's kind of hard to ignore," Sakura mutters, not actually understanding Ino's question. Ino leaves it at that, noticing Sakura's face, smiling sadly at Sakura.

Unknown to them, she stays clear of Team 7, feeling unready to see them so early in the competition.

* * *

She had been placed in the same room as Sai for the first round of the exam. This had made her feel better, because Sai, at least, knew what she was capable of doing. Sai likely doesn't think her to be _incompetent_. _Unnecessary_. A _burden_.

Ino used her mind jutsu to relay information to both Sakura and Chōji, something that Sakura is grateful for, believing that she would not have been able to get through the first part of the exam by herself otherwise.

That is why, now, in the Demon Desert, Sakura is trying her best to not let her team down. She can't do to her friends what she has been doing to Team 7 since that day on the roof.

Seeing Ino and Chōji down, Sakura did the only thing she could think to do. She let her instincts take over. She was their last resort and she was not going to let them down.

Sakura sent a stream of chakra to her legs, rocketing her into the sky, before coming down and releasing chakra just as her fist hit the giant scorpion's back, shattering its exoskeleton. The scorpion dead. Yet this wasn't enough for Sakura. She needed to be able to do more! Her hand was injured from that punch. _Tsunade-shishou trained her better than that_. She was better than that.

The next trial came when a team from Suna, with a medic nonetheless, came for them. Amazed by the Suna medic-nin's chakra scalpels, she is put out at first, before her and Team 10 manage to emerge victoriously. Perhaps she could implement this technique some other time?

She opened her eyes to see Team 10 fighting off another team from Suna. How could she be so much of a burden that she passed out? She attempts to help them, coming out victorious thanks to Ino. This would not do.

They take the scroll from the puppet master, and head to the tower. Of course, she knows that Team 7 are there already. They're doing so well without her.

The third round of the exam involved the genin fighting each other. Sasuke has to go against the medic from before, and she just can't seem to keep her eyes off of him. Figures. No matter how hard she tried to forget him, she just couldn't. She no longer had a crush on him… she was in love with him. And that hit her like a punch to the gut.

Of course, Sasuke didn't have any problems beating the medic, but Sakura did. It wasn't an easy fight for Sakura, but Sasuke made it look like the medic from Suna was _nothing_. She sees Naruto go against a shinobi she does not know from Suna, and of course, he manages to beat the shinobi without much of a fight. She can't keep her eyes off Team 7 and wonders if they would even spare her a glance when she has to fight Matsuri.

She watches Sai face off against one of the Suna medic's teammates. Sai beats the Suna genin easily too, marveling at how powerful Team 7 is without her. She cheers on the rest of her friends as they all win. She is the last Konoha genin to go. So she knows she has to win. She can't ridicule herself in front of Team 7. Maybe they could think her to be valuable enough to be back on Team 7?

She steps down into the arena, hearing cheers from around her, orienting herself so she could see Matsuri. She quickly glances at Team 7, noticing that they're whispering to each other, seemingly ignoring her battle. Writing her battle off as something not worth their times. She tries to ignore whatever feeling she gets and takes a breath, she _would_ win this.

She starts off by throwing kunai at Matsuri, attempting to gauge what she could do. Without her noticing, Matsuri had managed to whip out her jōhyō, deflecting the kunai. _A defensive weapon? No doubt she can use that offensively as well. She'll likely try to tire me out before lashing. I can do this_, the voice in the back of Sakura's head said.

Sakura throws more kunai at Matsuri, leaving the audience wondering what Sakura was planning. She does not notice Team 7 on the edge of their seats, holding their breath. What they don't realize is that she's coating her kunai with chakra so she can sense where they're going. She was attempting to predict the trajectory of the kunai upon reflecting from the jōhyō.

Upon realizing that it would be impossible to predict, Sakura decided that close combat would be the only option. She makes a clone, coating her hands in chakra, and both rush at her. The clone flanks Matsuri while Sakura charges headfirst. Matsuri whips the jōhyō around her, causing the clone to break, before letting it fly at Sakura, attempting to have it wrap around her leg to allow for her to finish the fight. Sakura quickly redirects the chakra to her feet causing her to be airborne.

With the spear of the jōhyō so far away, Matsuri resorted to using her kunai trying to hit Sakura while she was still in the air. However, no one but Team 10 expected Sakura to bring her foot down, causing the ground to break before her, leaving Matsuri off balance. In an attempt to finish the battle while she still had enough chakra, Sakura jumped for the jōhyō at the same time Matsuri did.

Matsuri, being most proficient at fighting with her jōhyō, pulled back on the rope, attempting to bring the sharp tip closer to her body once more. Not expecting Sakura to grab onto it, she pulls, feeling resistance. She looks up to see Sakura holding on to the tip that she had sharpened to allow for her to use the weapon offensively. Next thing Matsuri knew, she felt an even greater pull. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Sakura, who was aiming a punch right at her gut. She felt intense pain spread from her stomach, which was only trumped by the pain she felt when she hit the wall.

Sakura sees Matsuri collapse, falling from the crater she made in the wall. _She had done it! She won!_

Sakura finally tunes into her surroundings. She hears the Konoha shinobi cheer for her. She feels Ino hug her, jumping up and down.

"You did it, forehead! That was amazing," she hears Ino shout.

"The winner is Haruno Sakura," the announcer exclaimed.

Sakura could barely believe she had managed to win her first round. She knew she would have to battle Tenten the next round, but this win did wonders for her confidence.

Ino glares at Team 7, shocking them into staying where they were, stopping them from congratulating Sakura on her win.

Feeling bad about Matsuri, Sakura headed towards her after being let go by Ino. Her hands glowed green as she healed her.

Sakura watches the rest of the fights for the day, silently practicing the formation of chakra scalpels. Preparing for the next round of fights that would come the following week. During that week, she was always surrounded by Ino, causing her to never see the way Team 7 would look at her.

The week passed quickly, meaning she would have to fight soon. On the day of the next round of fights, her fight with Tenten was to be the first match of the day. They both smile at each other as they step onto the arena, facing each other.

"Now, Sakura, don't go easy on me just because I'm your friend," Tenten says.

_Go easy on her? Why…?_

"Don't worry Tenten! I'll give it my all!"

This time, Tenten was the one that initiated the fight. She opened a scroll causing an array of sharp weapons to fire at Sakura. Thanks to Tsunade-shishou's training, Sakura manages to avoid all of the weapons. Sakura aimed a kick for the ground, shattering it. She kicks at the rocks that fly up, aiming for Tenten. She grabs some of the knives and kunai and throws them at Tenten right behind the rocks.

For the most part, Tenten was able to avoid the rocks, but the sharp weapons take her by surprise. She suddenly feels senbon hit her right arm, causing the whole arm to feel numb. Of course, Sakura would know the pressure points that would allow for the disruption of bodily function. It didn't help that Sakura had amazing aim, as expected from the kunoichi of Team 7.

Sakura charged at Tenten after paralyzing her right arm, attempting to finish this with some taijutsu. She pushes chakra to her fists in the form of scalpels and lets the fight continue.

Despite being able to evade most of Sakura's punches, she can't help but feel her body slow down, becoming more and more unresponsive.

"The chakra scalpels I'm using are severing the tendons in your limbs, slowing you down," Sakura explains upon seeing Tenten's confused face.

"Sorry about this," Sakura says before landing a punch in Tenten's stomach, ending the fight the same way she did with Matsuri.

"The winner is Haruno Sakura," the announcer exclaimed, allowing for Ino to yell, "That's my friend, right there!"

Sakura approaches Tenten, wanting to heal her friend after the fight.

"Well. I wouldn't expect anything less from Team 7's kunoichi," Tenten says, breathing heavily.

Sakura hides her confusion at Tenten's statement before healing her, restoring the tendons to their natural state. Tenten closed her eyes as Sakura's soothing chakra entered her system, feeling immense relief.

"I wish you were on Gai-sensei's team, Sakura," Tenten whispers in relief. Sakura helps her up and leads her back up to the stands. She feels intense staring on her body as she supports Tenten up the stairs, but pays it no attention.

* * *

An attempt on the Kazekage causes the chūnin exams to end prematurely. After aiding in the retrieval of the Kazekage, all of the Konoha genin that participated in the chūnin exams found themselves in the Hokage's office.

"Team Gai, Team 7, Team 8, and Team 10," Tsunade said, "you all are promoted to chūnin. Neji, for your efforts, you will be promoted to jōnin."

Cheers broke out in the office, causing even Sasuke and Neji to smile a little at hearing the news. This was the first time that Sakura was in such close proximity to Team 7 and that in itself caused her body to feel heavy. She was proud of herself, of course, but she needed to get out. She turned around and slipped out of the office, believing no one had noticed she left as soon as she got her flak jacket.

A week later, she was walking through the market when she saw Sasuke's mom, Mikoto-san. It had been so long since she had last seen her. Apparently, Mikoto had realized that too upon seeing her, because she approached Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! It's been so long since I've last seen you! How come you haven't been to the Uchiha manor? Sasuke and Naruto talk about how they miss you all the time!"

Mikoto's questions confuse Sakura for a second before she is actually able to process what she said.

"Um… Mikoto-san, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I'm no longer on Team 7… haven't been for a while."

Mikoto appears shocked, "But still… you're Sasuke-kun's friend," Mikoto urges on, softly.

"I'm sorry Mikoto-san, but I never really was… I…I have to go. Please say hello to the rest of the family for me. It was nice seeing you," Sakura said, bowing her head before continuing on.

"It was good seeing you, too, Sakura-chan…."

The next day, she could feel Sasuke and Naruto's chakras almost everywhere around town. Everywhere she went. She managed to avoid them every single time.

As the weeks went on, she found it harder and harder to avoid them. How were they managing to get so close to her every time? Couldn't they see she was trying to get over them? Over Sasuke?

She stops when she feels Kakashi-sensei's chakra appear in front of her in the crowd. She quickly turns around, only to realize that she was so focused on Kakashi-sensei that she didn't realize Sasuke, Naruto, and even Sai had crept up behind her.

"Uh… hey guys," Sakura says weakly, upon looking at Sasuke's glare.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined, "Why have you been ignoring us? Is something wrong with you? Why don't you show up for training? WHY DID YOU NOT COME WITH US FOR THE CHŪNIN EXAMS?"

"I-what," Sakura said, trying to cut in.

"You've been so distant for months! It's time for you to come back to Team 7! We refuse to share you with anyone else!"

"Naruto, you don't really mean that!"

"Yes, I do! Do you know how much it sucked to know that other people knew more about you, our teammate, our friend, my _family_, than we did?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sakura-chan… why do you hate us," Naruto finished weakly.

"I don't hate you! I did this because I love you guys. I mean-"

"Annoying," Sasuke growled out.

Sakura felt tears settle at the edge of her eyes.

"Sakura… I was only on Team 7 for the chūnin exams because you went with Ino and Chōji," Sai added, startling Sakura.

"Wait… that means," Sakura thought out loud.

"Yes, Sakura. We were never trying to go to Suna without you," Kakashi-sensei said, his visible eye smiling.

"But… what about… I saw you all with Sai… I just assumed…."

"I was trying to see why you were training so hard with Tsunade-sama. I wanted to see who was causing you pain," Sai said, the slightest emotion detected in his voice.

"Oh wow. That's so sweet of you, Sai!"

"Sakura-chan! Why does he think we were causing you pain," Naruto questions loudly.

It was like a dam broke.

"Because! It was beginning to feel like I was being a burden to Team 7! Because I saw how well you got along without me and I realized I wasn't needed on Team 7! I-I felt like my love for Sasuke was making it worse for me to train as a kunoichi. I wasn't worth your time back when Team 7 was created, and I never have been," Sakura said without thinking, "Um… sorry, I-"

"Sakura… I am so sorry that I made you feel this way as your sensei. I found out you were training under Tsunade and just felt like there was nothing I could teach you. I know I was wrong, from the beginning until now. I would love nothing more if I could still be your jōnin captain and sensei," Kakashi-sensei said, his eye staring into her soul, albeit sadly.

"How could you think that, Sakura-chan! Team 7 is the four of us, and we aren't Team 7 without you! You need to get this, this… toxic thought out of your head! You're our strategist! You're our healer! You have never been a burden! You're so strong, and that's all you, Sakura! You're the soul of Team 7!"

Sakura cried upon hearing that, "Kakashi-sensei… Naruto… I'm so sorry! You have no idea how much it means to hear that. I just-"

"It's alright. Sakura, how about we just leave this behind, and start off… fresh? I would be glad to have you three as my chūnin, if you would allow me," Kakashi said, smiling.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan! We can be the strongest team in all of Konoha's history! I mean, did you _see_ how easily you broke the ground at Suna? Imagine us wiping the floor with that! We'd be unstoppable! And your healing! Team 7 would be unstoppable!"

"Hehe, alright Naruto! Kakashi-sensei! From now on, I'll try to stop doubting myself and hopefully, I can make Team 7 proud!"

"As for me, Sakura, I will continue training with you. You have always been a worthy adversary, I hope we can continue being rivals," Sai said, giving her an almost genuine smile. Because of this, Sakura hugged him briefly, "You have yourself a deal, Sai."

"Aw! Sakura-chan," Naruto whined once more, "How come I don't get a hug?"

She hugs Naruto, using chakra-enhanced strength to squeeze even harder, Kakashi-sensei ruffling her hair fondly. She lets go of Naruto, pretending to ignore the fact that the only thing Sasuke said to her the whole time was, 'annoying.'

Kakashi-sensei grabs Naruto and Sai by the collar before disappearing in a poof. That was… weird.

She turns around only to see that Sasuke was staring at her intently.

"I'll be going now… Sasuke," she said trying to turn around and head home. Before she could even take a step, however, Sasuke grabbed her wrist, her traitorous heart beating fast.

"Sakura, why did my mother tell me that we aren't friends," Sasuke asked, although it sounded more like a demand.

"Because… you think I'm weak" - Sasuke cocks his head to the side slightly, his eyebrows raising slightly - "and annoying."

"Weak? I never thought you were weak" - Sasuke's hold on Sakura drifts closer to her hand - "Annoying, though? Most definitely."

Sakura felt so happy before she felt her heart break. _Sasuke did think she was annoying…._

"Like when you overexert yourself at practice when you _know_ you have a shift afterward."

_Oh…? _

"Or when you ignore us for a long period and we have to seek you out."

Sakura releases a chuckle, eyes to the floor in an attempt to hide her blush.

"Or when I find out someone that's not the _dobe_, Kakashi or Tsunade has been training with you and actually knows the extent of your abilities. I was… happy to see your improvement from the last chūnin exam until now. And don't make me repeat myself."

"Sasuke… that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me," Sakura says, chuckling a little at her expense.

"To your face maybe," Sasuke mutters under his breath.

"What was that, Sasuke," Sakura asks, not being able to catch what he said.

"Tch. Annoying."

"Ah… okay, I'll be going now."

"No. Don't be annoying. Is this how you treat the people you _love_?"

Sakura's body feels cold, her heart sinking. _Was he… joking?_

"Mother… Mother says I should work on expressing my emotions better when it comes to the people I… care about."

Sakura's heart sank again, "Oh," she said, attempting to keep any emotion out of her voice, "Is there someone you're interested in and you want my help?"

Sasuke looks at her like she's the dumbest person on the face of the planet, which was as far from the truth as possible, but he'd never tell her.

"Annoying," Sasuke grunts out, "Let's go get food, your shift at the hospital doesn't start for another three hours."

"Food? With me? Wait, how do you know when my shift at the hospital starts?"

Sasuke pulls her along, the tips of his ears red. Thankful that Sakura could not see because she was too distracted trying to understand what was happening.

"Sasuke? Sasuke! Sasuke?! Sasuke-kun?!"

Sasuke would be lying if he were to say that he didn't like the way she was saying his name around town as he took her to her favorite restaurant.

Sakura would be lying if she were to say that she preferred when Sasuke never spoke to her. But at least their future looked just a little bit brighter that day.

* * *

A/N:

Thank you, **LumiaTenshi**, for the song suggestion! I hope I met your expectations, at least a little bit! :)

This is part 1 of a 2 part fic! These two will take place in an AU where the Uchiha massacre never happened, _but _ROOT was destroyed along with Danzo some time ago. This is why Sai has interacted with Sakura (and with Tsunade being the Hokage and Sai essentially being an orphan under Konoha's care, they had many interactions) without Team 7 ever _really_ knowing about it until later. This time, the attack on Gaara happened slightly later, and Sasuke stayed in Konoha, after having narrowly avoided being bitten by Orochimaru.


	5. Make It Right

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Naruto **_**or the song**

**Song: **_**Make It Right **_**by BTS**

**Rated: T**

Although Sasuke did not get bitten by Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, he was still out for a while. Waking up to see Sakura, with her hair short - the hair that she _loved_ so much and _cared_ for - and bruises and cuts and _blood_… Well, that may have been one of Sasuke's biggest regrets up to that point in his life.

He knew Sakura was a paper ninja - excellent on paper, but not so excellent on the field. It really wasn't her fault, though. Kakashi, Naruto, and he had silently and subconsciously vowed to never let anything happen to her. He never imagined that at any point, Naruto and he, or even Kakashi would not be there for her. She was too innocent for the violence that came from being a ninja. She was weak.

That day was the first time that Sakura opened his eyes. How could someone _weak_ manage to fend off a genin squad from an enemy village on her own? No. Sasuke decided then and there that Sakura was not weak. She was brave. She was simply held back due to how much Team 7 coddled her since their formation.

Regardless, Sasuke would never allow anything like that from ever happening again. He had to protect her.

The second time Sakura opened his eyes - and for good this time because she was not _weak; _she was never weak - was when she threw her body in front of Gaara during Suna and Oto's attack on Konoha. She would rather sacrifice _herself_ than see him die under her watch. He failed her again, didn't he? He needed to get stronger.

For two years, he worked hard at the training ground, training with Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura. He also wanted to prove himself as someone capable of being a chūnin to his family. Sasuke would never tell Team 7 this, but he had begun to think of them as _family _from the moment their mission to the Land of Waves took a turn for the worse.

If he were to get strong, might as well do it with his _family_, was what Sasuke believed back then, and it continues to be true to this day. It also helped that he had so much motivation to get stronger.

Kakashi always seemed to prefer him from Team 7. He secretly enjoyed the attention and affirmation Kakashi would give him during training.

Naruto was like a rival to him. He couldn't let the _dobe_ get the better of him ever. Especially not when his parents had been paying their team so much attention during the first chūnin exams, where only Shikamaru became chūnin. His parents were impressed by Team 7's teamwork, and Itachi was _proud_ of him for his work with Team 7. It goes without saying that he would also not want to let his Team 7 _family _or his Uchiha family down.

Then there was Sakura. He vowed that he would pay her back for her selfless performance during the chūnin exams and the subsequent attack on Konoha. It also didn't hurt that while most people only had eyes for Itachi when they were together, her eyes were only on Sasuke. Sasuke initially found that to be so _annoying_, but now, a part of him… he wasn't actually sure how he feels about it. Yet.

Because he was annoyed by Sakura at the moment. The _annoying_ (Oh, so annoying) kunoichi has been less present with Team 7 whenever they trained. And it was all thanks to the Hokage. _Tsunade_.

How was Team 7 going to get better for the chūnin exams if she was always tired from working her shifts at the hospital? Sasuke wasn't blind. He always knew Sakura would be adept with medical ninjutsu. Her chakra control was nearly perfect. He wouldn't expect anything less from her. She was also very helpful when it came to missions where the members of Team 7 were injured.

With her being the team medic, it was vital that they could protect her at any time. Medics are always the last line of defense, because if the medic was out, who would heal the team? Sakura was _vital_ to the team and always has, but he would never tell her… her smiles made him feel funny. Which is why training was important. How were he and the _dobe_ supposed to protect her when they wouldn't even know if she needed protection?

Sasuke knew today was one of Sakura's free days from the hospital, something that rarely happened, so he was waiting with the _dobe_ and Kakashi at Ichiraku's. Since Ichiraku's ramen was in the middle of the route that Sakura would take from her home to the hospital, he usually manipulated Naruto into getting ramen so they could catch Sakura after a shift or as she was heading to a shift. But, of course, it's not like he did this to make sure she was alright. Or whatever.

He sensed Sakura's chakra coming in the direction he didn't expect. She was coming from the hospital… but that was weird because Sasuke had memorized her schedule for the whole year and she wasn't scheduled for that day. Or did they give her more days now that she was becoming an ever better medic?

Sasuke wasn't sure when it happened, but he knew that everyone on Team 7 managed to become attuned to each other's chakra signatures. Which is how he knew Sakura had arrived at the ramen stand. Thankfully, the extra miso ramen he ordered - he was hungry, okay? It's not like he expected he wouldn't be able to finish his second bowl of ramen that he ordered. A bowl of ramen that also happened to be Sakura's favorite - was still warm. He scooted his stool a little further from the _dobe_ so that Sakura could sit in her usual spot.

Then the unexpected happened. Sakura left the stand. Sakura left him with the two idiots. _Him_. Her _Sasuke-kun_. Sasuke didn't feel like being there anymore so he bade them goodbye and walked out of the stand. He contemplated following Sakura to see if she was alright. Sasuke decided on walking in the direction Sakura came from, to the hospital.

Upon reaching the hospital, Sasuke hopped into a window he knew belonged to Sakura's office. Imagine being fifteen and having your own office at the hospital. Sasuke wasn't sure he would ever stop being amazed by that. Ah! There it was. Sasuke activates his Sharingan and memorizes Sakura's revised schedule. He would see her tomorrow during training and figure out why she didn't join them for ramen.

Sasuke's not sure what's going on with Sakura the next day at training. She seems so out of it, very unlike her usual self. Kakashi mentions the upcoming chūnin exams, and out of the side of his eyes, Sasuke sees Sakura looking down at the ground. _Was she scared they wouldn't be able to help her out like last time?_

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan! We'll make sure we won't leave you alone this time," the _dobe_ exclaims, causing Sasuke to smirk in his direction. He was right.

Sasuke notices something unrecognizable in Sakura's eyes as she looks up to catch Naruto's smile. He sees that same unrecognizable emotion in Sakura's eyes every subsequent day after.

About two weeks after Sasuke notices that _emotion_ in Sakura's eyes, he sees Kakashi punch her in the stomach, causing her to land a few feet away, standing up almost immediately. The spars between her and Kakashi never, _never_ got _that _intense. Sasuke unknowingly glared slightly at Kakashi.

"She shouldn't overexert herself," Sasuke mutters to himself, worried she actually got hurt during training, "She has a shift at the hospital in an hour."

"What was that, _teme_? Do you wanna go," Naruto questions, not having seen what happened to Sakura, "Wait, isn't it lunchtime? I'm hungry and want ramen!"

Kakashi quickly glances in Naruto's direction before ending the training session for the day. Sasuke notices Sakura leave quickly, worrying that she was actually hurt. He knew she would normally heal herself and then everyone else before leaving, but this time she didn't. Sasuke didn't manage to figure out the mystery from when she didn't eat ramen with them that one time, but he just knew in his gut that this might have something to do with that.

Before Sasuke or Naruto left, however, Kakashi suddenly remembered something. Turning to the boys of Team 7, he says, "Ah! I'll tell Sakura this tomorrow, but the chūnin exams are in two months! This time, I know the three of you are more than ready."

* * *

Annoyed. That is the only word that came to Sasuke's mind when he thought about his current predicament. Sakura had not been to train with them in a few weeks, Kakashi claiming that "Tsunade has taken a special interest in our Sakura these days."

What exactly was the Hokage trying to play at? Was she trying to disrupt Team 7's flow? He was coming back from the hospital after yet again memorizing Sakura's schedule… only to find out it had not changed at all. It was the same as the last time he checked. So what exactly had Sakura been doing instead of going to train with Team 7?

Sasuke's train of thought stopped the moment he saw Sakura. _Really_ early, considering she had a late shift the night before. His heart stopped because she smiled at him, not realizing how much he missed Sakura's presence in his life. He was, however, angered by the bags he saw under Sakura's eyes. He doesn't notice Sakura try to speak to him, or how her face falls as soon as he turns around to go and give the _Hokage_ a stern talking to.

"Get out!"

"Hn. I'll get out when you let Sakura rest and go back to training with Team 7," Sasuke growled at the Hokage.

"Brat! If she needed rest, she would tell me that she needed it," Tsunade said, trying to calm herself down after Sasuke barged into her office unannounced. Why was Sakura the only normal one on Team 7?

"But-"

"If you keep pressuring me on this issue, I'll have to ban you from attending the chūnin exams in Suna."

That shut Sasuke up. He wouldn't ruin this for Naruto or Sakura.

"Alright," Sasuke grunted out before turning and walking out the door.

Halfway down the stairs, he saw Sakura start climbing the stairs. He finally noticed all of the scrolls she was carrying with her. He also remembered that he never greeted her. His mother would be disappointed, seeing as how she loved Sakura and was always asking, "When's Sakura-chan coming over for dinner with Team7? No Sakura-chan _again_ tonight?"

He stops so he could greet her, and then help her carry the scrolls to the demon Hokage. But then Sakura brushes past him without sparing him a glance. Sasuke simply turns and stares at her as she walks up the stairs. His heart thumping in his chest. _What just happened?_

A week later, Sasuke begrudgingly finds himself at Ichiraku's with Naruto and Kakashi. As usual, there was a seat between him and the _dobe_. They were both saving that seat for Sakura, but only Naruto openly admitted that.

That is why, when an unknown boy of their age sat down in Sakura's seat, Sasuke and Naruto immediately glared at the boy.

"Who do you think you are? You're sitting in Sakura's spot," Naruto yelled out.

"Ah, so you _are_ Sakura's teammates," the boy said calmly.

"How do you know Sakura. Who are you," Sasuke growled out, demanding to know why another _boy_ seemed to know Sakura in a way similar to how they did. _But _much _less_, Sasuke thought.

"My name is Sai" - the boy nods to himself - "And well, I have been training with Sakura for around two years. I often train with her when Tsunade-sama asks me to. As I am also a genin" - Sasuke's glare intensifies even more - "And she always used to talk about you all, but as of late, she has not done so. I was wondering if you all have done something to her? She is one of my very few friends, so I do not take kindly to others harming her, especially when she's so sensitive to things of the heart."

Sasuke's mind only focused on one thing upon hearing what that boy said. Sakura had gone and… _fraternized_ with another boy they didn't know.

"If I find out you've hurt Sakura, I'll end you," Sasuke growls out without thinking, slamming money on the counter and walking out of the stand.

He doesn't notice the smiles that Naruto and Kakashi share… or the oddly satisfied smile Sai has on his face.

A few days later, he sees Kakashi speaking to Sakura. He hadn't seen her in what felt like forever, but he would never tell anyone that, of course. Based on her last reaction to Sasuke, not that Sasuke had kept thinking about that moment since it happened, he was afraid of her reaction to him would be, so he pulled Naruto to the side.

"_Teme_-"

"Sh! Kakashi is talking to Sakura, _dobe_. We have to find out what they're talking about."

"No, she's not," Naruto says, smirking at Sasuke.

Sasuke's head turns so quickly, noticing that Sakura was, in fact, still there.

"Tch. _Dobe_. Let's go."

As they get closer, they find Kakashi just standing there, a sad slump in his shoulders.

"Uh… Kakashi-sensei… are you alright? Where did Sakura-chan go?"

Kakashi turns to the boys, simply saying, "Well it seems like Sakura is participating in the chūnin exams with team 10."

Naruto lets out a scream of shock. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt numb. So very numb. What happened?

"We have to ask Sai to participate with us, it seems," Kakashi says even more monotonously than usual.

Sasuke wasn't angry that Sakura decided not to participate with Team 7, but he was hurt. Very much so. He knew Sakura hadn't spoken to him in a long time, but he half expected the rest of Team 7 to have at least ran into her once. She should've known they wanted her on their team. Why wouldn't they? Team 7 wasn't Team 7 without Sakura.

Team 7 managed to scrape by on the written exam portion of the chūnin exams, thanks to Sai's ink creatures. Sasuke knew that Sai wasn't useless… it was just that he wasn't Sakura. That is why when Sasuke picked up on Sakura's chakra signature arriving in Suna, glad that Team 10 hadn't held her back, he frowned when he felt her stay at a distance. He shared a look with Naruto, noticing he was also upset by that.

He just wanted Sakura back on Team 7. Was that too much to ask for?

Sasuke wanted to follow Sakura through the Demon Desert, he really did, but he also wanted to pass the chūnin exams. So that when Sakura was placed back on Team 7, he would be stronger and more ready to protect her with the _dobe_'s help.

Team 7 had no trouble in the Demon Desert thanks to the training sessions they had with Sai. Interestingly, whenever they brought up Sakura's training, Sai would be even more irritating than normal. Sasuke did not know what Sakura had to do during her training sessions, and he would be lying if were to say that he didn't worry, even a little.

He feels all tension leave his body the moment he sees her enter the tower, seemingly unscathed. He hopes she didn't run into much trouble in the desert. Hoping that Team 10 did everything they could to make sure she didn't have to carry them to safety or heal them. He tries not to show how hurt he is when she doesn't sit next to him. Even more hurt when he notices she sat so far away from the rest of Team 7.

Sasuke is the first one to fight that day. He fights a medic from Suna.

"You're from Konoha, too," she says, a small smile, "You must know, Sakura, then!"

Sasuke sees red, and before he knows it, he knocks her out. He looks at Sakura in the stands and notices her look crestfallen. He took this to mean that this Suna medic hurt her. That also meant that he avenged his… friend?

He ignores the rest of the matches, simply knowing that the _dobe_ won his, anxiously awaiting Sakura's match with… Midori? Minori?

"Psst. Teme," Naruto tried to whisper, "Sakura-chan's going against Matsuri, the Kazekage's student! But don't worry. Sakura-chan's gonna come out on top, _dattebayo_!"

Sasuke nods at Naruto's statement. Of course, Sakura would win this. She was a member of Team 7, after all. He looks at the arena out of the side of his eye and sees that she is walking onto the arena, getting ready for his fight. He drowns out all the noise as he only focuses on Sakura, standing up to the edge of the stands, feeling the _dobe_ step up right next to him.

Sasuke feels his blood begin to pump, hands almost crushing the bars holding the spectators in the arena back. Sakura starts off by throwing kunai at the Suna girl, who deflects them using a jōhyō. He turns on his Sharingan to analyze the battle, noticing Sakura's chakra on the kunai. Sasuke smirks at this, realizing that if anyone could try to counter the jōhyō with their intellect, it would be Sakura.

He sees Sakura make a clone, substituting her for one of the kunai that landed behind the Suna girl. The girl whips the jōhyō, breaking Sakura's clone and then spinning it and launching it at Sakura. With speed he's never seen before, Sakura launches into the sky and brings her foot down. The shock he felt upon seeing Sakura's small foot break and shatter the ground was immeasurable.

_If Sakura could do that with her foot… she should protect _me _instead_, Sasuke thought, silently amazed. Sasuke's pride in his female teammate and friend only grew when he saw her pull the girl by the rope of the jōhyō and punching her into the wall all the way on the other side of the arena.

"ALRIGHT, SAKURA-CHAN," Naruto yells.

Sasuke simply smirks. Although he was unaware of Sakura's physical strength, he was not surprised that Sakura won the battle so easily. Some of the other genin here might underestimate her because she's pretty and looks like she couldn't harm a fly, but Sasuke knew how strong she was - especially if the punches she gave Naruto were any indication of her strength before - but he was still angry that someone spilled her blood when she grabbed on to the sharp tip of the jōhyō.

He feels Naruto grab his hand - and sees him grabs Sai's as well - and pulls him along to the stairs. However, they feel the hatred behind the Yamanaka girl's glare and that shocks them enough to root them in place. Leaving them unable to congratulate their friend.

A week later, Sakura's battle was the first of the day, along with the kunoichi from Team Gai. Sasuke couldn't really remember her name, but he figured Sakura would easily win this battle as well.

He notices them talk to each other during the battle, recognizing friendly banter. A flash of an unrecognizable feeling spreads throughout Sasuke's body. Did Sakura really spend time with other teams when she wasn't with them?

Sasuke is again amazed by Sakura's nearly perfect - who was he kidding, at this point, it was basically perfect - chakra control as she summons chakra scalpels that tear through the bunned kunoichi's tendons. He is also amazed by her aim when using senbon. And her strength as she kicked giant boulders like they weighed nothing. And her healing her opponent after she punched her into the wall, forming yet another crater. She was such a pure heart, despite how much she's been tainted by the violence around her. Sasuke feels his heart in his throat for some reason.

"I didn't know Sakura could use chakra scalpels like that," he hears Sai softly, turning to see the first genuine smile on his face he's ever seen.

Sasuke's lips turned up softly as well. A soft smile he reserved for Sakura when no one was noticing.

Sasuke hears the Konoha girl say, "I wish you were on Gai-sensei's team, Sakura." Sasuke couldn't help but let the fear climb up his throat, he felt nauseous. He could only look at Sakura's back as she helped the _bitch_ climb the stairs.

* * *

"Team Gai, Team 7, Team 8, and Team 10," Tsunade said, "you all are promoted to chūnin. Neji, for your efforts, you will be promoted to jōnin."

Sasuke knew that Neji deserved the rank of jōnin. But the girl on his team did not deserve to be a chūnin. Not when she was trying to steal one of Sasuke's precious people from under his nose. Couldn't the Hokage realize there was a _traitor_ in their ranks?

Regardless, Sasuke let out a small smile, hoping that the debacle of Sakura on another team was over. Sasuke was hyperaware of his presence, so he was disappointed when he felt her slip out of the Hokage's office as soon as she got her flak jacket. Leaving without saying a word to him or Naruto.

A week later, he was resting at home, admiring the way the flak jacket looked on him in the mirror. He yelped a little - It was a cough! - when his mother barged into his room, a disappointed frown on her face.

"Sasuke-kun," his mother said, too calmly.

"Yes, mother?"

"I ran into Sakura-chan at the market today. And do you know what she told me?"

Sasuke's heart picked up its pace, trying to calm down, he says, "No, mother. What did she say?"

"I asked her why she hasn't been to the Uchiha manor in so long! And she responded by saying" - his mother's voice changes from angry to sad and soft - "'I'm no longer on Team 7. I was never Sasuke-kun's friend.' Now tell me, what did you do to her? You know how she feels about you! Why did you hurt her? Oh, my Sakura-chan."

Sasuke tried really hard not to roll his eyes, but he was also upset. Sakura was no longer on Team 7? She didn't think they were friends?

"What does she mean she's no longer on Team 7," Sasuke half-yelled, "I'll show that annoying girl that she can't just leave me like that."

He stops when he hears his mother's soft chuckles.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun… it seems like you didn't really know what you had until it was lost… A shame really, but if you want her to understand, I think you need to express your emotions better around the people you value."

"Thank you, mother."

Sasuke quickly jumped out of the window, thinking of a way to get Naruto to help him with… something.

He wasn't surprised to find Naruto at Ichiraku's, but he _was _surprised to find Sai there with him.

"_Dobe_," Naruto turned from his food, incredulous at the urgency in Sasuke's voice, "Sakura's no longer on Team 7, and she doesn't think we're even friends. We have to find that annoying girl and talk some sense into her!"

Naruto simply put money on the counter and dragged both Sasuke and Sai out of the stand, leaving his ramen alone.

"Guys, I have a plan… and we might need Kakashi to help us out," Naruto grumbled, a frown on his face. Sasuke and Sai could only look at each other, somewhat afraid of what Naruto's scheme could entail.

Sasuke should not have placed so much faith in the _dobe_'s plan, because every time they got close to Sakura, she somehow managed to avoid them. The plan was simple, sure, but they forgot to account for how she could sense their chakra signatures. This game of hide-and-seek went on for weeks.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto whined, finally approaching Team 7's leader, "Help us find Sakura-chan! She says she's no longer on Team 7 and she says she's not our _friend_!"

Kakashi surprisingly helped the boys out with less convincing they expected.

"I knew Kakashi-sensei cared about Sakura-chan as much as we do!"

"Of course he would, _dobe_. She's Sakura."

Sasuke felt like they should have asked for Kakashi's help _much _earlier, because the next day, Kakashi had managed to corner her, allowing the three of them - Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai - to speak to her.

Sasuke simply ignores the other idiots as they interrogate her. She hasn't even acknowledged his existence, but she was the only one he had his eyes on at the moment. She seemed fined.

"Annoying," Sasuke growled out.

Apparently she thought they were going to Suna with Sai? That was why she went with Team 10? Sai thought they _hurt_ Sakura? What the _fu_ -

"Because! It was beginning to feel like I was being a burden to Team 7! Because I saw how well you got along without me and I realized I wasn't needed on Team 7! I-I felt like my love for Sasuke was making it worse for me to train as a kunoichi. I wasn't worth your time back when team seven was created, and I never have been," Sakura says, "Um… sorry, I-"

Kakashi interrupts her, but Sasuke only focuses on the fact that Sakura said she loved… him? Sasuke feels his face heat up, not exactly in a bad way. Sasuke hears his mother in his head, talking about how he doesn't know what he has until it's gone. _She's right_, Sasuke thinks. Realizing how upset he has been without Sakura around him for the last few months. She was in pain the whole time and he never realized… and she _loved _him.

His heart breaks when he sees her cry, not having been paying attention to what was going on. Which one of the idiots made her upset? He sees her hug everyone. Everyone but him, an ugly feeling rearing its head in his heart. Why won't she hug him? Why hasn't she looked at him?

She finally looks at him when the three idiots disappear in a poof.

"I'll be going now… Sasuke," Sakura says, turning her head. Before Sasuke realizes, he reaches for her wrist, not wanting her to leave while she was still _so close_.

"Sakura, why did my mother tell me that we aren't friends," Sasuke asks, swallowing.

"Because… you think I'm weak" - Sasuke cocks his head to the side slightly, his eyebrows raising slightly in confusion - "and annoying."

"Weak? I never thought you were weak" - Sasuke's hand travels from her wrist to her hand without thinking - "Annoying, though? Most definitely." - he looks away when he notices her sad look - "Like when you overexert yourself at practice when you _know_ you have a shift afterward... Or when you ignore us for a long period and we have to seek you out." - Sakura releases a chuckle - "Or when I find out someone that's not the _dobe_, Kakashi or _Tsunade _has been training with you and actually knows the extent of your abilities. I was… happy to see your improvement from the last chūnin exam until now. And don't make me repeat myself."

"Sasuke… that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me," Sakura says, chuckling. Causing Sasuke to feel angry at himself.

"To your face maybe," Sasuke mutters under his breath without thinking. Was he too mean to her? Did she not know how much he cared about her?

"What was that, Sasuke," Sakura asks, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Tch. Annoying."

"Ah… okay, I'll be going now."

"No. Don't be annoying. Is this how you treat the people you _love_," Sasuke questions, reminding her about how she says she cares for him, Sasuke a little angry that he hasn't been in her presence in so long.

"Mother… Mother says I should work on expressing my emotions better when it comes to the people I… care about," Sasuke says, trying to get her to understand how much he values her. How much he wants her to never do what she did gain.

"Oh," he hears her say softly, "Is there someone you're interested in and you want my help?"

Sasuke can't help but look at her, dumbfounded. She was smart, he knew that, but why was she being stupid at this pivotal moment? He was trying to tell her how much she meant to him.

"Annoying," Sasuke grunts out, "Let's go get food, your shift at the hospital doesn't start for another three hours."

"Food? With me? Wait, how do you know when my shift at the hospital starts?"

Sasuke pulls her along, the tips of his ears red. Ignoring her questions, he begins to lead her to her favorite restaurant.

"Sasuke? Sasuke! Sasuke?!" - he hears her say, angry at the lack of his suffix - "Sasuke-kun?!"

Ah, there it was.

He pulls her into the restaurant and sits her down in front of him.

"Sasuke-kun? I thought you didn't like this restaurant? You always say the food is too sweet! Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else?"

"Ah."

Sasuke feels his heart thump in his chest when he sees the concern on her face. Was he really able to survive those three months without her? Physically he did, but he wasn't too sure if he would want to go through anything like that again.

He orders her a plate of dango, knowing they were her favorite, while he asks for a cup of water for himself. The waiter quickly comes back with her food and his water, his eyes lingering on Sakura too long for his liking. Sasuke glares at the waiter, scaring him away.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun? You just glared at the poor boy like he did you dirty."

"He was not respecting any boundaries," Sasuke supplies, seemingly enough for Sakura.

He watches her as she eats the dango, soaking up her presence. A presence he's been missing for three months. Has her hair always looked that soft? There's no way her eyes were always that green, right? Sasuke knew she was pretty, sure. In the early days of Team 7, that's all Naruto would talk about. He never really paid it any attention, but he wasn't blind. But seeing her in front of him, with no idiots in sight, he knew Naruto was wrong. She wasn't just pretty… she was more than that… ethereal almost. She was like a sun, so radiant, so bright. And he wanted to soak in her light for as long as he could. He hoped it was something he would always be able to do. But he wouldn't let Sakura know, no he would not.

Was this what she felt for him? If it was, Sasuke felt stupid. He couldn't believe he hadn't been profiting from simply being in her presence. He felt oddly complete with her in front of him.

"Is there something on my face, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke simply shakes his head, a soft smile on his face. He notices her blush at that and vows that he is never letting her go again. He's going to make sure she knows just how much she means to him, and how willing he is to never let her go again.

They kept a conversation going, surprising Sasuke in how easy and simple and _right_ it felt, until it was almost time for her shift at the hospital. He paid the bill and took her hand again, smirking at the waiter before leaving the restaurant.

"Thanks for today, Sasuke-kun," Sakura tells him in front of the doors to the hospital, "I know you don't…" - Sasuke frowns a little at that - "But… either way… it was nice. Thank you! I promise to make it up to you by not being a burden anymore."

Without thinking, Sasuke pulls her into a hug, startling both her and him. His arms envelop her, his body taking her presence in.

"Get it through your head, Sakura. You've never been a burden."

"Ah… thank you, Sasuke-kun," she says, attempting to escape the embrace, but Sasuke would not let her.

"No… not yet. It's been so long since I've been so close to you," he says, feeling warm inside, "But you can make it up to me by never leaving me… I mean, us… ever again."

When he finally does pull away, he sees Sakura give him a smile like the ones she used to give him when they were barely genin. _Cute_… but what if she smiled like that at another boy? That would be _annoying_.

His heart stops when he feels her lips on his cheek. Maybe it would be alright, because at the end of the day, she still only loves him, right?

"See you around, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke stands there for a while, his hand raising to his cheek, wanting to hold on the warm way she made him feel.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't sure when he truly knew he loved Sakura. Maybe it was after she sacrificed herself to save him in the Forest of Death? Or when Gaara was trying to kill him? Or maybe when he felt the cold she left behind when she wasn't there? Either way, his body knew how he felt before he even understood his emotions. He hoped he could tell her how much he loved her… one day. But for now, baby steps. His actions would have to do. He wants to earn her love… to be worthy of it.

But Sakura knew, and she would wait until he felt ready enough to let her know.

She could tell in the way he always seemed to know her schedule at the hospital. How he would always accidentally order miso ramen just the way she liked it. How he would walk her home after a shift at the hospital. How he always found a way to be around her. How the muscles in his arm tightened when she hugged him as he returned the embrace, almost like he was afraid she wouldn't be there when he let her go. How worried he would get if she spent too much time at the hospital. She could tell in the passion in his kisses, promising her an even better tomorrow.

"I love you, Sakura… so much."

"I know, Sasuke-kun... I love you so much."

Sasuke knew that when he was with Sakura, everything just felt right.

* * *

A/N:

Thank you, **LumiaTenshi**, for the song suggestion!

This is part 2 of the fic I started with "Nothing". Sasuke unintentionally took Sakura for granted, but he never doubted her abilities because he knew she was brave and strong. As much of a ninja as he was. He always had strong feelings for her, stemming from their trust in each other during the trials that Team 7 faced. He just never knew how to express it until he realized there was a chance she wouldn't always be there forever. He and Team 7 care very much for Sakura, but never realized Sakura was still unsure of herself. This is why Sasuke vowed to "Make It Right" ;) so she could understand how he felt about her and see that she has no reason or need to doubt herself.


End file.
